Perkins+Will maintains a Precautionary List, an index of building materials that can harm the human body. While mercury and lead’s impacts may be well understood, those of one ubiquitous set of chemicals have not been: flame-retardant chemicals. They are common in many architectural materials, from upholstery to insulation, and they slow the spread of fire in otherwise flammable substances. However, they also tend to escape into the environment and become absorbed in the human body, where they don’t break down. What results is a “body burden”: a cache of chemicals that has been linked to cancer, loss of IQ, and diabetes. For its inaugural Perkins+Will Science Fellowship program, the firm hired chemist Michel Dedeo to research the subject for an architectural audience. He and Suzanne Drake, Perkins+Will senior interior designer and associate, recently wrote a white paper with their findings.
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